Automatic icecube maker

ABSTRACT

An automatic icecube maker having a tray that tilts freely during each ejection. An elongated divider unit moving freely vertically during the ejection period. same having one divider nestling within each tray mold, dividing each mold into two sections while the tray remains horizontal. Each divider being provided with means to release the cubes from the molds when mechanical force is being applied to the unit, and means to release the cubes from the deviders. Means to release the tray to a vertical position to allow the cubes to fall into the harvesting bin, and means to return the tray and deviders into the normal freezing position.

United States Patent n91 Archer AUTOMATIC ICECUBE MAKER Primary Examiner-William E. Wayner [75 Inventor: Erling B. Archer, Flushing, NY. [73] Assignee: Eric Archer, Town of Old Saybrook, [57] ABSTRACT Middlesexy Conn An automatic icecube maker having a tray that hits 2 freely during each ejection. [2 1 Flled June 1971 An elongated divider unit moving freely vertically [21] Appl. No.: 155,592 during the ejection period. same having one divider nestling within each tray mold, dividing each mold 52 U.S. into twqsecnops while the tray remains horizontal [m g Each divider being provided with means to release the [58] Fieid 71 340' cubes from the molds when mechanical force is being 425/439 applied to the unit, and means to release the cubes from the deviders.

[56] References Cited Means to release the tray to a vertical position to UNITED STATES PATENTS allow the cubes to fall into the harvesting bin, and 3 182 464 5/1965 Archer 62/353 X means to return the tray and deviders into the normal 3:206:940 9/1965 ArcherI:II::IZIIIIIIIIIII: 62/353 x freezing posmon' 4 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures Q4246?$07,715ii /flV/flfi ,;0,$ ,92,O/% Es |ol0 PMETEUJAM 8:914

SHEU 2 BF 3 PATENTEUJAN 81974 SHEET 3 (IF 3 AUTOMATIC ICECUBE MAKER The present invention relates to an ice maker and is more particularly concerned with an improved ice maker adapted to be incorporated in a domestic or household refrigerator.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide an ice cube freezing tray and associated ice cube ejection means which will facilitate both the freezing of water into ice cubes in the tray pockets and the ejection of frozen ice cubes from the tray pockets without first having to preheat the tray in order to eliminate the adhesion of the cubes to the sides and bottom of the tray pockets. Still another object of the present invention is to provide an ice cube ejection method that is simplified and less costly to manufacture.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a divider unit that will release the cubes from the tray, means for loosening the cubes from the elevated divider unit so they will fall back into the tray, and means for releasing the tray from a horizontal position, to have it hang in a vertical position, thereby to have the cubes fall into the harvesting bin and means for lifting the tray back into a horizontal position again.

- Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following features of novelty of the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims added and forming part of this specification.

FIG. 1 is a top view of the icemaker;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the mechanical parts;

FIG. 4 shows the end of the divider unit in an elevated position; View taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows the end of the devider unit preceding its elevation;

FIG. 6 shows the tray release catch, view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 shows how the dividers are tapered at the bottom view taken on line 7--7 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 shows a divider having a projecting lug at the bottom edge view taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 shows a part section of a finger cube abutment.

Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown a refrigerator cabinet including a liner 1, forming a freezer compartment 2, for storage of frozen food. The compartment is maintained at below freezing temperatures by means of an evaporator and with a fan blowing over same and into the compartment.

Positioned within the framework 3, consisting of front panel 4, backwall 5, and end panel 6, is an ice cube mold 7, having pockets 8, same pivoting on pins 9 through bearings 10. In this particular illustration the molds or pockets are half moon shaped as shown in FIG. 5.

Positioned lengthwise and nested within the tray is a divider unit. Same consisting of a solid and rigid bar 1 l,

having divider plates 12. The plates are also moon shaped so as to fit snugly to the bottom of the pockets. The sides of the plates are desireably wedge shaped meaning that the bottom edge is wider than the top portion (See FIG. 7). Each side of the divider plates can also be provided with protruding lugs 13 (FIG. 8). The divider unit can be an assemblage of two hard metal bars having the upper parts of the plates secured between, or the unit can be a single component made of hard reinforced plastic. The end parts of bar 11 moves freely upward or downward in siots l4 and 14A (FIGS. 4 and 5) and the front end extends out as at point 15 (FIG. 1). At this end a link chain is secured 16, the end of same is secured at point l7.- 18 indicates a small timing motor with shaft 19 having a pinion 20, same drives gear 21 turning on shaft 22, and on the inner side is pin 23.

A cam shaped bar 24 has been provided. Same moves on pin 25 and held in a downward position by shaft 11. (See FIG. 5). The front part of the bar being cam shaped 26.

27 depicts a tray lifter arm. Same having a slot 28. In this slot, riveted pin 29 slides and have chain 30 fastened to it. The other end of the chain is'secured to gear 21 at point 31. The lifter arm is secured to shaft 9 so as the tray turns, the arm will follow.

To retain the tray in a horizontal position during the freezing cycle, I have provided a latch 32, best described in FIG. 6. Same moves on hinge 33, securely fastened onto the inner top side of panel 4. The lower end of the latch is hook shaped 34, same being held underneath the bottom side edge of tray 7 by aid of spring 35. The upper part of the latch extends through a slot to the top outside of panel 4, point 36. 1

I will now describe how the ice cube ejector will function.

Say that the cubes are fully frozenand ready to be harvested. Motor 18 will start and via pinion 20 gear 21 will turn. When pin 23 arrives to the underside of camspace 26, arm 24 will be lifted. Due the upper edge of the arm at point 15 instead of 37 dividers will also be lifted, and as the dividers are wedge shaped or having been provided with lugs 13, it becomes obvious that the cubes become free from the bottom and sides of the pockets due to the fact that the wedge shaped divider or lugs will not pass by the hard frozen sides of the ice cubes. Molded or placed on to the top inner edge of the pockets, I have provided a small button 38, one on each side of each divider FIG. 1 (38, FIG. 2). As the cubes, now adhering to the sides of the dividers continue to be lifted, the surface edges of the cubes will be held back by these buttons and as the dividers continue to elevate, the cubes will be broken away from the dividers and hence fall back into the tray pin 23. Pin 31 via cam 26 will lift the one end of the divider shaft into the position shown in FIG. 2, and as the cam continues to raise, by aid of leverage on the extended divider shaft, point 15, chain 16 will become taut as it is being held back at point 17. Therefore, the divider bar will become horizontal as indicated in FIG. 3. The cubes are now laying in the mold pockets. As the upper front edge of cambar 24 presses against latch point 36, catch 34 will release the tray, and the tray by its own weight will swing down and thereby hang in a vertical position, thus dropping the cubes into the harvesting bin (Not shown). Gear 21 will continue to turn, pin 23 will pass by the cam tip, and the cam will fall back into the previous hanging position.

As the tray is hanging vertically, lifter bar 27 will also point downward. While the tray is in a horizontal position, chain 30 and arm 27 will remain as indicated in FIG. 5. However, as gear 21 turns, chain 30 will become slack, and by the time the tray is released, arm 27 will be free to move with the tray FIG. 4. Rivet 29 moving in slot 28 will prevent any friction between the chain and the arm movements. Gear 21 is still turning,

point 31 begins to move upward and away from arm 27 and as point 31 again arrives to the position shown in FIG. 3, it will thus have lifted the tray back to a horizontal position FIG. 5. Latch catch 34 is rounded at the bottom edge. When the tray is returning back, the side of the tray will push catch 34 aside, but the catch will snap back again to come into the position as shown in FIG. 6, and again retain the tray in a horizontal position and the cube maker is ready for another cycle.

In this particular application I am primarily interested in getting Patent rights on the herin described cube ejection method.

I still have Patent rights to my previously issued Patents on cube makers namely U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,048,986, 3,182,464, 3,182,468 and 3,206,940. For an example, any or parts of the automatic features described in these Patents can be added to the herein described invention in order to make it fully automatic.

It will be fully understood that the foregoing description of preferred embodyments of the apparatus according to the present invention is for the purpose of illustration only, and that the disclosed structures and structural arrangements are subject to a number of changes and variation, for instance, FIG. 9 shows an arm of fingers, same arm being fastened on to the stationary structure and placed so that each finger will come in contact with each cube while they are being elevated thus to loosen them from the divider unit, so these variations will not involve any departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

If desirable, abutment arm 39, (FIG.9) can be used instead of the front buttons 38. The one end of the arm is secured to side panel 5. Not shown Same arm having fingers 40. Each finger to reach above each front cube, and are designed to break the cubes loose from the deviders during ejections. This to prevent front buttons 38 to obstuct the cubes from falling out.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by letters of Patents of the United States is:

1. In a freezing compartment of a household refrigerator, a base structure, a tray having pockets to receive water to be frozen into ice cubes, means mounting said tray on said base structure for pivotal movements between a horizontal position and a downward position, latch means adopted to retain the tray horizontally during the freezing period, and means to release it for a downward movement when the cubes are frozen, a rigid plastic rod having been mounted with plastic dividers underneath, said dividers to have obstructional features on each side, same to secure a bond between the dividers sides and the sides of the ice cubes, means to have a divider rod resting longitudinally and centered above the tray with the dividers nestling upright within the pockets and the bottom edges being close to the inside bottom of the pockets, means to retain the divider unit in said position, means to elevate directly upward at least one end of the divider rod, thus to break the bond of the cubes loose from the pockets, abutment means adopted to break the cubes loose from the dividers during this movement and to drop the cubes back into the tray, timed means adapted to release the tray to have it swing downward and to drop the cube into a harvesting bin, means to drop the divider unit back to its nestling position and means to return the tray back horizontally.

2. In the freezing compartment of a household refrigerator, a base structure, icemold means adapted to remain horizontal when filled and to swing downwardly when ice cubes are to be ejected, a longitudinal divider unit having tapered divider plates, being wider at the bottom edge, same nestling upright close to the bottom of the holds, said plates being attached to a rigid rod, said base structure having opposite vertical slots directly in line with the longitudinal center of the tray, adopted to allow both ends of said rod to slide up or down only in said direction, mechanical and leverage means adapted to forcefully break the cubes away from the bottom and sidewalls of the pockets and elevate the divider unit upward and away from the bottom of the holds, buttons, one for each side of each divider, same arranged at the top of the inner edge of each pocket, same to retain the cubes during the movements of the dividers, thus to break the cubes loose from the dividers, latch means mechanically timed to allow the tray to swing down and for the cubes to fall into a harvesting bin, and means to return and retain the tray horizontally, divider unit having been released and dropped back into its nestling position when the tray returns.

3. In an apparatus according to claim 2 motor means, gear and cam means including leverage means adopted to forcefully elevate longitudinal divider means including frozen ice cubes away from the tray pockets, abutment means to release ice cubes from the divider means. Gear, lever and cam means adopted to release the tray from a horizontal position to drop it vertically, leaving free passage for cubes to be harvested and simultaneously drop the divider means into its nestling position and to return and retain tray horizontally.

4. In an apparatus according to claim 2, a gear rotated by a motor and mounted on the outside of the front panel, said gear having a protruding pin near its inner edge, a cam arm adopted to have free up and down movements. Abutment rod, extending outward from the slot and resting directly above the top edge of the cam arm, chain link means attached to the end of the divider rod, the other end secured to a lower point, a lifter arm, one end secured to the tray axle, said arm having a slot, a link chain, secured to a rivet, said rivet moving freely in said slot, the other end of the chain being secured to a designated spot on said gear, during the gears single rotation, said pin will contact the cam edge, thus lift the cam arm, cam arm will elevate the divider bar thus releasing the cubes, retaining chain will hold the protruding end of the divider bar back, thus to create a leverage and force the opposite end of the bar upward, at this point, the cam has released the latch allowing the tray to drop, lifter arm thus will point downward with continual rotation of the gear and the cubes having been disposed of, lifter chain will move with the gear and hence lift the tray back, when the gear stops,

all points are free and back to their normal position.

=0! 4' III k 4 

1. In a freezing compartment of a household refrigerator, a base structure, a tray having pockets to receive water to be frozen into ice cubes, means mounting said tray on said base structure for pivotal movements between a horizontal position and a downward position, latch means adopted to retain the tray horizontally during the freezing period, and means to release it for a downward movement when the cubes are frozen, a rigid plastic rod having been mounted with plastic dividers underneath, said dividers to have obstructional features on each side, same to secure a bond between the dividers sides and the sides of the ice cubes, means to have a divider rod resting longitudinally and centered above the tray with the dividers nestling upright within the pockets and the bottom edges being close to the inside bottom of the pockets, means to retain the divider unit in said position, means to elevate directly upward at least one end of the divider rod, thus to break the bond of the cubes loose from the pockets, abutment means adopted to break the cubes loose from the dividers during this movement and to drop the cubes back into the tray, timed means adapted to release the tray to have it swing downward and to drop the cube into a harvesting bin, means to drop the divider unit back to its nestling position and means to return the tray back horizontally.
 2. In the freezing compartment of a household refrigerator, a base structure, icemold means adapted to remain horizontal when filled and to swing downwardly when ice cubes are to be ejected, a longitudinal divider unit having tapered divider plates, being wider at the bottom edge, same nestling upright close to the bottom of the holds, said plates being attached to a rigid rod, said base structure having opposite vertical slots directly in line with the longitudinal center of the tray, adopted to allow both ends of said rod to slide up or down only in said direction, mechanical and leverage means adapted to forcefully break the cubes away from the bottom and sidewalls of the pockets and elEvate the divider unit upward and away from the bottom of the holds, buttons, one for each side of each divider, same arranged at the top of the inner edge of each pocket, same to retain the cubes during the movements of the dividers, thus to break the cubes loose from the dividers, latch means mechanically timed to allow the tray to swing down and for the cubes to fall into a harvesting bin, and means to return and retain the tray horizontally, divider unit having been released and dropped back into its nestling position when the tray returns.
 3. In an apparatus according to claim 2 motor means, gear and cam means including leverage means adopted to forcefully elevate longitudinal divider means including frozen ice cubes away from the tray pockets, abutment means to release ice cubes from the divider means. Gear, lever and cam means adopted to release the tray from a horizontal position to drop it vertically, leaving free passage for cubes to be harvested and simultaneously drop the divider means into its nestling position and to return and retain tray horizontally.
 4. In an apparatus according to claim 2, a gear rotated by a motor and mounted on the outside of the front panel, said gear having a protruding pin near its inner edge, a cam arm adopted to have free up and down movements. Abutment rod, extending outward from the slot and resting directly above the top edge of the cam arm, chain link means attached to the end of the divider rod, the other end secured to a lower point, a lifter arm, one end secured to the tray axle, said arm having a slot, a link chain, secured to a rivet, said rivet moving freely in said slot, the other end of the chain being secured to a designated spot on said gear, during the gear''s single rotation, said pin will contact the cam edge, thus lift the cam arm, cam arm will elevate the divider bar thus releasing the cubes, retaining chain will hold the protruding end of the divider bar back, thus to create a leverage and force the opposite end of the bar upward, at this point, the cam has released the latch allowing the tray to drop, lifter arm thus will point downward with continual rotation of the gear and the cubes having been disposed of, lifter chain will move with the gear and hence lift the tray back, when the gear stops, all points are free and back to their normal position. 